


UFO Catching Your Heart

by maiririri



Category: B-PROJECT 鼓動＊アンビシャス | B-PROJECT: Kodou Ambitious, B-PROJECT～無敵＊デンジャラス～ | B-PROJECT: Muteki Dangerous
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 05:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16111682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maiririri/pseuds/maiririri
Summary: Goshi tries to get a birthday present for Yuta.





	UFO Catching Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> back at it with some kaneashu i would only really write while sick and in bed at 2am. it's longer so i made it separate from my drabble collection  
> i'm still bad at titles but that's nothing new  
> hope you enjoy :>  
> edit 1/7/19: finally fixed some grammar problems lol

“Aizome.”

Kento shifted his focus from his phone screen to the band member who stood in front of his position on the couch. He remained seated, only raising an eyebrow at the shorter boy. “…What?”

He really didn’t want to be bothered by Goshi today, of all days. With the weather horrendously colder than usual, Kento was starting to come down with some illness. Not only was that impeding on his practice time, but his appearance was less than ideal compared to his usual image. His trademark styled hair was flat and disgusting, and his eyes were dark and heavy; but on top of being sick he was also tired. Sick and tired of seeing his annoying group mate pacing around the apartment since they got back from their studio meeting, flipping through random papers, opening and closing the same doors god knows how many times. Kento had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but he didn’t appreciate the noise.

“What- what are you doing right now.” Goshi eyed him with a hint of nervousness.

The taller of the two sighed and tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever most-likely-headache-inducing conversation was about to start. “Well, I was _trying_ to relax, but you seem to want to tear the apartment apart in the middle of the day. Did you lose something?”

Goshi’s expression tightened. “No, I didn’t.”

“So…? What do you need from me?” Kento stared back at him, noting the other boys lack of apology for the ruckus.

“I… need… some help. With something.” The younger started, tapping his fingers against his arm.

“You… need _my_ help?” The older spoke up, genuinely surprised at the request. He never thought that he’d hear Kaneshiro Goshi ask the one guy he hated with all his guts for help, and as weird and awkward as the interaction was, Kento was now kind of interested as to what the hothead was trying to do. “What? With what, exactly?”

“Just-“ Goshi furrowed his brow, clearly getting both frustrated and embarrassed. “…You know what? Nevermind. I don’t need your help.” He threw his hands up, and started to turn around. “Forget it and go back to harassing girls or whatever.”

“Wait.” Kento grabbed the edge of the other boy’s sweater before he could leave. “Spit it out, you clearly asked me for a reason. You could’ve asked Haruhi, Yuzuki, or whoever else you actually like to talk to, but instead you asked me even when I’m here looking like crap.”

“Ugh, fuck off, germy.” Goshi forcefully pulled his sweater back. “And yeah, you look like shit but that’s not anything new.”

“Haha, funny. But I don’t take insults from people who can’t look good in anything except black.” Kento rolled his eyes. “Anyway, what is it?”

Goshi glared at him but didn’t spare the breath to shoot another snide remark Kento’s way. Instead he took a few seconds to look at the ground while he worked out how to articulate his question in his head. The older looked at him expectantly once he finally inhaled to speak.

“Ashuu’s birthday is coming up.”

Well, Kento didn’t expect the conversation to start that way, but alright. “Yeah, it is…?”

“I don’t know what to give him.”

Kento just stared at him, caught completely off guard. A light blush found its way to Goshi’s cheeks as the silence stretched even longer.

“So- okay, wait.” Kento finally broke the staring contest. “Let me get this straight- you need help getting a gift for Yuta.”

“…Yes?”

“I… Wow,” Kento brushed his hair back, trying to stifle a laugh. “I hate to admit it but that’s… that’s kind of cute? Oh my god.”

“Shut up with that! Just say no if you won’t do it!”

“No, no, I’ll help you- Just, do you mind me asking why you’re trying so hard to get him something?”

Kento swore he could see flames rising in Goshi's expression as he shot the older a look that clearly read ‘stop asking questions if you like being alive.’ “I don’t think that’s your fucking business.”

“Sure, sure, it’s not like I live with you two or anything. Wait, were you looking at his stuff before?”  Kento questioned. Now all that noise from before was starting to make sense.

“Well yeah, he already has so much shit so I can’t buy something he already has!” Goshi huffed. “And the only other thing he talks about is the garbage food he wants to eat all the time. Which he’s probably going fucking eat on Christmas anyway.”

Kento hummed and tapped his chin. “That’s true. Give me a minute to think.”

Goshi groaned, impatient as ever. “If you don’t know then forget it. I only figured you would since you pocket any info he tells you to use on girls later.”

“I mean, he does like that kind of cute stuff that girls usually would. But recently he’s only showed me dessert pictures, to be honest. Probably since Christmas parties are coming up.”

“Really, nothing else?”

A lightbulb went off in Kento’s head all of a sudden, and he unlocked his phone again to look through his text messages. “Wait, there was one other thing.” He turned his phone around and held the screen up to the Goshi’s line of vision. “This.”

Goshi leaned in to the screen with a confused expression. It was a picture of a stuffed toy in something that looked like a plastic case. The text messaged attached to it read ‘isnt this so cute kenken!!! i couldnt get it though (´；ω；｀) come back with me next time!!!’

“What am I looking at…?”

“You know those UFO catchers?”

“The machines at the arcade?”

“Yeah. He was telling me he wanted this sheep toy with the ribbon pretty badly, but he didn’t win it.”

Goshi groaned once more. “So you’re telling me I would have to win this thing? I’ve never played one of these before, that won’t work at all.”

“Well, unless you want to totally wing this gift, that’s all I have to offer you. Maybe go ask someone who’s played it before to help you.” Kento pocketed his phone, leaning back into the couch cushions.

“Shit, that’s fucking annoying. You can’t just buy it somewhere!?”

“If you could, I’m sure he would have bought it already.”

“Ugh…” The shorter boy ran his hand down his face, already exhausted at the thought of trying to figure out how to get a damn pink sheep out of giant mechanical box. “Fine, send me that photo, I have an idea.”

“Um, okay?” And then Kento watched Goshi grab his wallet off the table in the foyer, put on his coat and baseball cap, and rush out of the door. It really wasn’t anything he felt he should be bothered to worry about, but Kento couldn’t help but wonder where Goshi could possibly be going, while also filing that conversation away as one of the weirdest ones they’ve had to date.

 

* * *

 

One thing Goshi definitely knew was that Yuta could not be left alone on the streets, or he would never make it home with his god-awful sense of direction. So, therefore, someone had to be with him when he was at the arcade and took that picture to send to Kento. Obviously, it wasn’t Kento, so that just left select members from the other groups. Yuta was out right now at KitaKore’s dorm visiting Ryuji, so Goshi would have to cross him off the list, and it wasn’t like he ever wanted to talk to bushy brows anyway. He also didn’t want to even try going to MooNs’ dorm and be met with that bunch of weirdos. So, to KiLLER KiNG’s apartment it was.

After ringing their doorbell, Goshi braced himself to be toppled over by a head of blonde or black, if either or both Teramitsu’s decided to answer the door this time. The twins were ruthless with their love for their shorter friend, and while he usually appreciated the sentiment, he didn’t particularly like being manhandled.

To his relief though, their small group leader answered the door instead, so he was met with a soft smile and warm eyes rather than shouting and crushing hugs. Akane was one of the few B-PROJECT members that Goshi actually enjoyed being the presence of; he was kind to everyone and had a great sense of leadership which Goshi appreciated, practically being the leader of THRIVE himself. And not to mention their similar preference in food types- the two would often find each other at the same restaurants after work. Goshi only wondered if he would accidentally intimidate the smaller boy sometimes, but thankfully Yuta would always play damage control.

“Goshi! It’s nice to see you, it’s been a while!” Akane greeted him, beaming.

“Same here. Haruhi and Yuzuki are out?” Goshi questioned. His main goal was actually to talk to Akane since the leader was close with Yuta, but it’s also possible for Yuta to have gone out with Haruhi as well. Talking with both would have been ideal.

“Yeah. Did you need to see them? You can come inside and wait if you’d like, they just went to the convenience store to buy groceries.”

“I might. I need to ask you something though.” He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, unlocking the screen and pulling up the picture that Kento had texted him just minutes earlier. “Do you know what this is?”

Akane tilted his head, looking at the image in front of him. “It’s a sheep? …Ah wait! I’ve seen this before in a UFO catcher!”

“You have?” Jackpot. “Did you play this?”

“I tried that machine only once.” The leader stood straight again, crossing his arms. “But I was with Yuta. He was the one actually playing it.”

“Okay, but you know how to play these things right? The UFO catcher.” Goshi questioned again, growing impatient.

“Uh, yeah! It’s not that hard, there’s like two buttons. I don’t know if I’m very good at winning though.” The shorter tilted his head once more, frowning in thought. “Are you trying to play it?”

Goshi rubbed the back of his head, sighing. “Not exactly. But I was trying to find someone who can. So if you have, then I need you to come with me and show me where it is.” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and held it up as well. “I have money. I’ll pay for the games.”

The other boys’ eyes widened in surprise at the request. “Whoa, right now? I wasn’t expecting that- but like I said I don’t know if I can win it. Why don’t you ask Yuta about it, since he plays them all the time?”

The hothead suppressed a groan. Why did everyone have to question him? Sure, maybe playing games and trying to buy presents was a little out of character for him but… “There’s a reason I’m asking you about this stupid sheep toy instead of him. If it wasn’t you, then I would’ve asked Haruhi.”

“Huh?” The boy only displayed confusion before his expression shifted to one of realization, a large smile slowly crossing his face. “Oh. Ohhhhh! Yeah, if that’s the case, I can help you out, no problem!”

“Good. No more questions, we're leaving now.”

“Alright, I’ll grab my jacket then!”

Not before long, the two were making their way down the hallway towards the elevators, bundled up for the cold weather and possible forecast of snow. Akane made sure to leave a note on the counter to tell Miroku where he’d be if he was needed, as well as the twins, but it seemed that was unneeded because-

“Oh, Goshi! Akane!”  Haruhi’s voice resounded from across the hallway. The twins seemingly just made it back from the elevator when Goshi and Akane turned the corner. “You two are going somewhere!?”

“Harupyon!” Akane waved towards his energetic friend, calling out his signature nickname. “You and Yucchi are back so fast!”

Haruhi smiled and ran to meet the unlikely duo, his brother trailing behind him a bit slower. To Goshi it seemed like Haruhi was only restraining himself from throwing his body over Goshi because he was holding shopping bags. “Mm! There was no wait at the store! Were you doing something while we were gone? We would have waited if Goshi was coming over.”

“You two aren’t usually together. We wouldn’t mind helping, if something is wrong.” Yuzuki said softly once catching up to the group.

Goshi sighed, already tired of questions and being held up. He loved the Teramitsu’s- he really, truly did. But right now, he couldn’t wait around with their overbearing sense of cordiality. “Everything’s fine. It’s just an errand.”

Akane’s face lit up, as if having an epiphany. He shot a glance at Goshi before speaking to Haruhi. “Nothing is wrong per say, but… Harupyon, you play UFO catchers a lot, right?”

“Huh…?” Haruhi knit his eyebrows together. “Yeah yeah, I do! But what does that have to do with anything?”

Goshi mentally slapped himself full force in the face. Of course! How could he forget that Haruhi was obsessed with those stupid mascot plushies? His shared bedroom with Yuzuki was filled with so many obnoxious, colorful creatures. If anything, his best chance at this sheep was probably Haruhi rather than Akane. But in that case, he’d have to drag both along with him since Akane was the one who knew where that particular machine was…

Dammit. The thought of adding more people to his party was so annoying. He’d have to explain what he was doing to the blonde and suffer that whole episode of embarrassment all over again- but what choice did he have now?

“You know what-“ Goshi started, clearing his thoughts once more. “I actually do need you, Haru.”

“What!? Really!?” The taller boys mouth fell open, clearly not expecting to be asked for help by his grouchy friend. “Wait, what about Yuzu?”

“No, just you. Sorry.” Goshi eyed Akane, wondering if he’d indirectly reveal something about Yuzuki he didn’t think of either. But Akane just smiled, confirming his thoughts that Yuzuki didn’t play as many games as Goshi originally believed him to.

“That’s alright. I’m a bit tired, anyway.” The older twin smiled his usual sweet and understanding smile. “Let me take the bags from you, Haru, and you can go with them now.”

“Ehh… I guess if that’s okay with you, Yuzu.” Haruhi pouted slightly, torn between leaving his beloved brother behind and helping out the friend he admired so much. He did hand the bags over to Yuzuki after a moment, hoping they weren’t too heavy for him.

“I hope it goes well, tell me about it later. See you guys.” Yuzuki nodded towards the group before leaving them behind, Haruhi watching his back disappear down the hallway with a pout still present on his own face.

“Well then. Tell me what’s going on, if it’s something we can’t take Yuzu to.”

“Why don’t we head downstairs? We can tell you on the way to the car. Don’t worry, it’s not like a secret were keeping from Yuzuki. I think.” Akane tried to console the other.

“I guess so. Let’s go then, quickly!”

 

* * *

 

“So, you need this sheep… to give to Yuta?”

If Goshi wasn’t driving, he would have actually slapped himself in the face. “For the last time Haru, yes, I do.”

“Why though? I’m so jealous! Won’t you get me a plushie too!?”

“Ah!” Akane spoke up from the passenger’s seat. “Isn’t it Yuta’s birthday soon!?”

“Oh, you’re right now that I think about it! Goshi, you’re giving Yuta a birthday present?”

“Fucking— Yes, I am, okay? Are you happy knowing that now?”

“No! I’m not! I’m hurt you have never done something this thoughtful for me and Yuzuki!?” Haruhi faked a pained expression, putting his hand over his chest. “Actually, it’s weird you’re even doing this for someone else. I didn’t think you’d care enough to go out of your way to a UFO catcher instead of just buying something?”

Akane turned around in his seat to face his group mate, putting his hand up to his mouth and speaking in a lowered voice. “Actually, Harupyon, I think there’s another reason for that...”

“Huh?” Haruhi stared at him, completely lost.

Goshi could feel the back of his neck burning. Had he been that obvious in front of Akane earlier? He didn’t think he said anything that gave his feelings away. “Fudo, I can hear you. You’re literally right next to me.”

Orange eyes looked in his direction, a spark of deviousness to them. “I’m not wrong though, am I? I didn’t hear a denial.”

“AHH!” Haruhi finally snapped back to reality, yelling just loud enough to make Goshi _almost_ slam the brake pedal. “Goshi! You like Yuta!?”

Goshi had never taken the time to admit to himself he had a crush on his freckled bandmate. Using the words ‘like’ and even… ‘love’ were foreign to his thoughts on the matter. All this time he knew he had some sort of feeling for the boy stewing in his mind that he just… didn’t ever put into words; so hearing someone else tell him (or yell, in this case) that he liked Yuta made both his blood run cold and set his cheeks ablaze.

“No! I… I don’t know. Maybe!?” Goshi stammered, slowly losing his cool. His hands were becoming sweaty on the steering wheel.

“You’re cheating on me!? And Yuzuki!? I can’t believe this…!” Haruhi continued acting like he was keeling over in the back seat. “You’re the worst! Wait until Yuzu hears this later-“

“Jesus, what the hell are you on about! And don’t fucking tell him, it’s not your or his business!” The truth was that Goshi knew Yuzuki might be pretty bummed to hear his eyes were set on someone else, so it would be best to prevent that from happening until he could tell the boy himself.

“Harupyon, you weren’t even dating him.” Akane laughed at the younger’s antics. “Actually, I think it’s pretty cute! I didn’t know Goshi had this kind of soft side to him.”

“I’m not. Fucking. Soft.” Goshi half muttered through his embarrassment. “Anyway, are we close yet or what!?”

“Mm! Just drive a little further ahead, then you’ll just have to turn left.”

“Geez, finally. I’m never driving you around again, Haru.”

“Me?” Haruhi gasped again. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Yeah, making us almost crash, like, twice because you can’t stop yelling is ‘nothing’!”

“Sorry, sorry… I’m just really surprised is all! Hey, why Yuta anyway? I want to know!”

“I’m curious too,” Akane pondered. “You two are pretty different, personality wise. It’s like, opposites attract or something?”

Goshi turned the corner and was relieved to see the arcade coming into view. He wanted this conversation to end, fast. “That’s not… Just…. Just stop asking questions.”

“Was it love at first sight? You know, sort of like a… Baaam! kind of feeling in your chest?” Haruhi started.

“Something like dokan! right? It just happens one day and you don’t expect it.” Akane nodded in complete understanding with his hyper colleague.

Goshi managed to find a parking spot right behind four other cars in front of the game center, and did the fastest parallel parking job he possibly could have. After hitting the ignition button and stuffing his keys back into his jacket pocket, he turned to face the KiLLER KiNG members. “I am literally begging you two to get the fuck out of my car.”

“Yes sir!” Haruhi exclaimed, freeing himself from his seatbelt in a hurry. The two others climbed out of the car right after him, and soon all three were heading into the arcade.

The first thing Goshi took note of was that it was loud as hell inside. Schools must have just let out, so there were more kids than he expected there to be considering the forecast of bad weather later in the day. Layered with kids yelling at each other, he could hear various electronic noises, music being played from an unidentifiable source, and artificial gunshots. Just great. He hoped he wouldn’t be nursing a headache later.

“Fudo, lead the way.” Goshi spoke loudly to Akane.

“Got it, come this way!” Akane waved Haruhi and Goshi over to follow him down a path to the far-left end of the arcade. The wall was lined with UFO catchers, some already occupied by other players. The LED lights were a bit too bright for Goshi’s liking, but he guessed he wouldn’t have to look at the machines himself if Haruhi was going to do all the work. Akane continued leading them down the aisle, and stopped once they reached a UFO catcher near the middle of the row. “It’s this one,” He said, pointing into the glass.

Right near the back of the machine sat a medium size stuffed sheep, covered in peach colored swirls of fluffed fur, and adorned with a shiny red ribbon around its neck. It looked exactly like something Yuta would want. The perfect gift.

“Alright I got it covered!” Haruhi dramatically rolled up his jacket sleeves, which just made his arms puffy looking before they fell back in place. “This should be no problem, it doesn’t look too hard to get.”

Goshi pulled out wallet, unzipping the change pocket. “Then get it in under 2500 yen.” He dropped a few coins into Haruhi’s hand to start. “Here. Don’t take too long.”

“How much money do you have for this? Actually, nevermind, I guess you’ll just give me more anyway if I ask.” Haruhi grinned and faced the machine again, bending down to put the change in the slot. The machine sprang to life with a cute tune and colorful LEDs, and the timer to move the claw began its countdown.

“You can do it Harupyon!” Akane cheered beside him once he started the play. Goshi watched the claw arm descend on the plush animal and was left confused when the sheep was only nudged forward a bit, not grabbed.

“Huh? What the heck, wasn’t that pretty bad?” Goshi questioned.

Akane shook his head. “You can’t get it in one try. Since it’s all the way back there, you have to keep moving it forward with the catcher.”

“What…” Goshi scrunched his eyebrows together. “That seems like a money scam…”

“Goshi!” Haruhi flung out his hand. “Don’t complain! Do you want the sheep or not!?”

“Ugh, fine! Fine.” Goshi fished out a handful of coins dropped them into Haruhi’s hand, groaning. Thankfully the machine read ’150 yen’ per play, so it wasn’t too bad… maybe?

“I won’t let you down~!” Haruhi turned back to the machine and popped in a few more coins.

 

It took only 8 more tries for Haruhi to pull the sheep out from the back platform into a good enough position to be grabbed- admittedly better than Goshi expected- but he still had to drop it into the bottom of the machine. Goshi had tried to distract himself from watching their gameplay by walking elsewhere in the arcade, but always found himself anxious to see what the other two were doing and returning to look over Haruhi’s shoulder.

 

“Just a little more…!” Haruhi dropped the catcher near the back of the plush to grab it. “Please, this time…”

“Ah, Harupyon, I think you got it!” Akane exclaimed, watching the sheep lift higher, before it finally flipped forward and into the bin at the bottom of the machine.

“Wahoo! We did it Akane!” Haruhi jumped and hugged his smaller friend as the winner jingle went off.

“You got it though! So cool, Harupyon!”

“Right, right!? I’m the coolest huh~!”

“The coolest!”

Goshi let out the breath he was holding and sighed, pulling the sheep out of the drop slot. It was actually a little bigger than he initially thought it was, and much, much softer. “Okay you two, stop that.”

Haruhi and Akane stopped wiggling around. “You could look a little happier too, we got it in under 2500 yen for you!” Haruhi huffed. “You could say thank you, at least!”

Goshi rolled his eyes. “Okay. Thank you, really. I appreciate it. I wouldn’t have gotten it myself.”

“You probably would have gotten angry and punched the machine, huh?”

“I will punch _you_ right now if you don’t stop talking.”

“Okay okay~” Haruhi grinned and finally let go of a giggling Akane. “But y’know, if you really wanna thank us you could… give us money to play some games?”

“What? No way. Was this not enough for you?”

“Well, you did bring both of us here to do this for you, I think we deserve some sort of compensation for our time!? Right, Akane!?”

“Goshi, you’ll treat your kouhai, right?” Akane agreed, wearing a mischievous look on his face.

“Both of you… really…” Goshi pinched his brows together and sighed before fishing out his wallet again. The two watched him eagerly while he rattled it around for more coins. “1000 yen each. That’s all.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Akane cheered, taking his share.

“You’re the best!” Haruhi happily took the money as well. “Let’s go play that game we saw when we walked in! That one looked super fun!”

“Yeah, yeah! Goshi, do you want to come with us?”

“No thanks. I’m taking this-“ Goshi held up the sheep by its ribbon. “-out of here. Just meet me back at the car when you’re done here.”

“Boo, you’re boring.” Haruhi took Akane’s hand in his and began walking past the other boy. “Let’s go have fun ourselves then! Bye Goshi!”

“Okay, bye?” Goshi shook his head and made his way to the arcades exit as he originally planned. He wondered if he should stuff the plush into his jacket to conceal it while he was outside, but he realized that no, that would make him look completely stupid, and he could just tell a potential asker that he was holding it for Haruhi. That brought about another train of thought though- how was he going to hide this thing while he was at home? It was pretty big, and Yuta might be home by the time they drove back to the dorms. Should he have Haruhi or Akane keep it at their apartment for the time being?

A lightbulb went off in Goshi’s head as he was walking towards the car. If he remembered correctly, there should be an empty backpack he threw in his trunk for a trip a while ago and never bothered to take out again. He was sure the plush would be able to fit in it; and to his relief, the bag was still there when he popped open the trunk to check. He took the backpack out and walked around the car to sit in the driver’s seat again, proceeding to unzip it and trying to stuff the sheep inside.

“What a pain…” The sheep’s face stuck out of the pocket opening, almost like it was looking at Goshi with those round, embroidered eyes. Goshi examined it in closer detail now that it was in his hands and in better lighting than that dark arcade. It was actually… pretty cute, if he was admitting it. And it also held some resemblance to Yuta. The pink fluff was reminiscent of his bandmates cotton candy hairstyle, and he noticed a few dots decorating the sheep’s rosy blush that seemed like freckles. Even the red ribbon looked like the one Yuta tied around his arm during performances. The only thing it was really missing was Yuta’s fanged grin, instead wearing a soft smile in its place. It almost… made him want to keep the sheep for himself?

A small heat rose to Goshi’s cheeks when he noticed he was letting his thoughts wander a little too far away. He was definitely gifting this to Yuta next week, not keep it to remind him of his crush at every waking moment. Although, it would still be in their apartment either way, so whenever he saw it again he’d have to remember the reason it was there: because of his stupid lovesick brain.

Would he ever even confess his feelings to Yuta upfront? Probably not- at least, not for a long time. So this plush was likely his best move for an indirect confession. Goshi pondered for a few moments- Akane and Haruhi were likely not returning to the car for five, ten more minutes maybe (he didn’t really know how long 1000 yen would last for) So he could use this rare chance alone to put a bit more affection into his gift.

“Ashuu.” Goshi poked at the cheeks of the plush, feeling his own growing a little hotter out of embarrassment. He spoke in a soft almost-whisper, not even wanting to hear himself say it.

“I… I like… you…”

The sheep stayed smiling in his hands. He wouldn’t put all his feelings into the plush, no, he’d save the ‘love’ part to tell Yuta himself one day, when he worked up the guts. In the meantime, though, he could add maybe... one last touch…

Goshi leaned forward and pressed the lightest kiss he possibly could onto the sheep’s threaded smile. The felt was soft against his lips, for the one second he held them there, but he quickly pulled away and zipped the backpack up while cursing himself for getting so flustered over stuffed fabric. He threw the bag at the passenger’s seat and hoped neither Akane nor Haruhi would sit up front with him so he wouldn’t have to look them in the face.

 

* * *

 

Goshi breathed a sigh of relief once parting from the KiLLER KiNG members in the elevator. Akane and Haruhi had decided to sit in the back seat of the car together after their play time was over so they could continue talking. They were really just speaking in weird onomatopoeia, so Goshi didn’t bother trying to follow their conversation during the ride home and let them jump around in the back on their own. But he was finally away from their overwhelming amount of hyper energy, and could not wait to toss his bag into the darkest corner of his room and forget about this pink sheep for a week.

The elevator chimed to signal reaching his floor, and he stepped out to walk toward THRIVE’s apartment. Goshi wondered if Yuta had come home by now, or if Kento was still decomposing on the couch by himself. He unlocked the door with the apartment key, and one look across the foyer told him his blue-haired bandmate had definitely not made any attempt to move from his resting place. No visible signs of Yuta, though. He started to take off his shoes. “I’m back.”

“Oh, welcome back,” Kento attempted to sit up, greeting the other. “I was wondering what you had left to do all of a sudden. What’s that bag?”

“It depends. Is Ashuu home?” Goshi didn’t want to answer immediately, in case Yuta were to appear out of nowhere and completely ruin his surprise.

Kento quirked an eyebrow. “No, he’s still with Ryuji.”

“Then,” Goshi walked across the room, unzipping the backpack hanging from his shoulder. “It’s this.”

“Hey, can you not come over here looking like you’re trying to show me something illegal? Weirdo.” Kento peered into the opening of the bag, spotting the embroidered sheep’s face. “Wait- no way… you went out and got this thing right now?”  Kento let his mouth gape in awe. “How?”

“I might have taken your advice.” Goshi smirked, mentally patting himself on the back for exceeding Kento’s expectations. Score one for him.

“Someone helped you win it?”

“Haruhi and Fudo.”

“I have to say, I’m pretty surprised with this result. I didn’t actually think you’d do it.” Kento sniffled. “That’s a lot of trouble for someone like you to go through.”

Goshi narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean.”

“Nothing. I guess you should put that away before… Yu- Ah-“ Kento raised a hand to his mouth in a weak attempt to block his oncoming sneeze. “Achoo!”

Goshi pulled the bag back from Kento quickly, eyeing the other with disgust. “Ugh, what the fuck! Don’t spray your gross spit all over him!”

“‘Him’? Sorry, I didn’t know you were so attached to that sheep.” Kento sniffled again, forcing down a teasing smile.

“Shut up. I said that because it looks like Ashuu.”

“Ehh, I suppose you’re right. Then I’ll rephrase that- I didn’t know you were so attached to Yuta.”

Goshi glared at him, his face turning redder. “I’m done here. Just die on the couch or whatever.” He zipped up the backpack again and turned to walk into his bedroom, but not before making sure he flipped off the older.

“You know, you’re welcome for the idea!” Kento called after him.

“Yeah, whatever.” Goshi half-heartedly answered before shutting the door behind him. Sliding open his closet, he tossed the backpack inside and hoped Yuta wouldn’t be going through his room for something anytime soon. He’d just have to keep it there for about a week without him finding it.

He made a mental note to remember to buy a matching gift bag for the sheep later, and closed the door.

 

* * *

 

A week passed with no problems, thankfully. With the holidays approaching, Yuta was spending more time with the other members of B-PROJECT whom he didn’t get to see as often since THRIVE was focused on their own activities recently; not to mention being busy with planning a Christmas party and dinner for tomorrow. Within the previous week though, Haruhi did let it slip to his brother that Goshi held some romantic interest in his pink bandmate- Yuzuki was a bit sad after that, but once the initial surprise had passed he was very supportive towards Goshi. Yuzuki was always the sweet one, compared to his explosive twin.

Goshi bought a dot-patterned gift bag the day before, complete with some pink tissue paper to set the plushie in. He had also picked up a few candy bars that were already wrapped for Christmas as an extra token of affection to place under the tiny faux Christmas tree in the middle of their apartment. Yuta always insisted on getting a tree even if it was just the three of them in the house, and it was really obvious who’s presents were from who. Though, he did end up getting Kento something a little nicer than he had originally intended to, just to thank him for his help. Kento better appreciate that effort.

The sheep was still sitting his in closet for the time being, but he knew Yuta would be home any minute now from visiting KiLLER KiNGS apartment to discuss party decorations. He could imagine that Akane and Haruhi were snickering together, wondering if Goshi had given Yuta his birthday present yet. Haruhi would likely be texting him later for all the details.

Goshi inhaled a deep breath and pulled his closet door open, revealing the colorful gift bag. “I guess it’s now or never, huh.” He nervously took out the bag and shut the door again, walking out of his bedroom and into the common area. He didn’t understand was he was so scared for; he did give Yuta a gift every year, they did present exchanges every year- what would be so different about this year? It’s not as though Yuta’s reaction would be any different, he was always happy to receive anything from his friends. Hell, you could give the guy a saltine cracker and he’d act like it was the most thoughtful gift in the world.

Just as Goshi decided to set the present on the table, he heard the door lock click open, and suddenly he could feel beads of sweat on his neck. No, he had to get it together! In his head he was berating himself for not being able to keep his cool over a stupid birthday present.

“I’m home~!” Yuta’s high-pitched voice rang out while he jumped through the doorway. “Oh, Gouchin is here!”

“Welcome back. How did it go?” Goshi continued the casual conversation, not only to distract Yuta, but also himself.

“Good, good! We have so many decorations~! There’s snowflakes, and balloons, and-!” Yuta paused, unwrapping his scarf and shedding the rest of his outerwear. “-lights, and lots and lots of confetti~! I think it’ll be super fun tomorrow! Just wait!”

“Sure, sure. As long as the food’s good.”

After shaking off his boots, Yuta stepped into the common room. “I think it will be amazing! You know, Tono said he’d help cook, so-“ Yuta finally noticed the bag behind Goshi’s arm, tilting his body over a little bit to peer at it. “Hey, what’s that?”

“Ah, this is…” Goshi picked up the bag once more, putting it in front of his body as he faced the other boy. “It’s for you, actually.”

Yuta’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement. “Really!? For me!?”

“Yeah.” Goshi stepped forward and held out the bag. “It’s your birthday present.”

“No way! What is this? It’s so big!” Yuta took the bag in his hands, examining it while a smile grew even wider on his face. “You’re the best Gouchin! Can I open it right now?”

Goshi was already fighting the heat in his face. “Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

“Yay! Let’s see~” Yuta carefully peeled back the layers of tissue paper to reveal the gifts contents, and once he found the plush inside he gasped _very_ loudly. “Oh my god! It’s the sheep! From the arcade! I can’t believe it!” He exclaimed, almost yelling in surprise.

“…You like it, I take it?” Goshi questioned. Of course he knew Yuta liked it, but he didn’t want to give away the effort it took him to get it.

“I love it!” Yuta took the sheep out of the bed of tissue paper, placing the bag on the ground. “It’s so soft! So cute! Gouchin, thank you so much!” Yuta beamed at him with rosy cheeks, his canines showing through his smile.

“You’re welcome, glad you like it.” Goshi let a smile of his own slip through his embarrassment.

Yuta giggled and held the plush up to his face, nuzzling it. “But really, how did you get this?”

“Oh- uh…” Goshi wracked his brain for the least exposing answer. “I was running an errand with Fudo and we got it.”

“Aww Akane-chan helped you? That’s so nice! I was with him when I saw it a while ago, heheh. It must have been hard to get~ how thoughtful!” Yuta lowered the plush sheep from his face. “Hmm, I should name it! I know, I’ll name it after you, Gouchin!”

“What? That thing doesn’t even look like me at all.” Goshi replied, flustered.

“Ehh? It’s cute though…” Yuta tilted his head, staring at it. “I can name it ‘Gou-chan’ instead of Gouchin!”

Goshi’s cheeks were probably a visible shade of red by now. Did… did Yuta just indirectly call him cute? “Don’t do that! If anything, it looks like you. Look at how pink it is, just call it “Ashuu-two” or something.”

“It looks like me? Ah, you’re right, it does!” Yuta’s face brightened. “Wow! I didn’t notice!”

“Really…”

“Okay, I’ll name it ‘Ashuu-two’ in honor of Gou-chan.”

Goshi exhaled, still red. “Stop with the ‘Gou-chan.”

“Boo, okay… even though hearing you say it is so cute…” Yuta stuck his tongue out, setting the sheep down on the table beside them. “Actually, Gouchin, I have something to give you too.”

Goshi quirked an eyebrow. “Uh, giving me something on your own birthday…?”

Yuta waved his hands around. “Well, I was thinking about saving it for tomorrow but… now is the perfect time, I think.”

“Ashuu, there’s no point in giving Christmas presents early, because then nothing will happen on Christmas. What about Aizome?”

“Gouchin.” Yuta pouted, crossing his arms- any attempt he made to look even remotely threatening was overruled by how adorable he was. “You’re not listening to me. It’s not a Christmas present!”

“Okay…? Fine, what is it.” Goshi was still confused. But Yuta always had the power to confuse him, so he guessed he shouldn’t be very surprised.

Yuta smiled once the other gave in. “You have to close your eyes!”

Goshi rolled his eyes before shutting them, now blind to his surroundings. “Ugh, okay.” He wondered what Yuta could possibly have to give him, unless it was small enough to fit in his pocket. Maybe it was a phone charm or something. Yuta tended to buy small accessories and the like for him, Kento, and Goshi to match.

He waited for a few seconds, only hearing Yuta slightly shift around in front of him. But he didn’t hear any pockets rustling, and nothing seemed to be coming. “…Ashuu?”

As soon as the boy’s name left Goshi’s mouth, something had gently pressed up against his lips, silencing him. The sensation was incredibly light, but unexpected enough for it to completely stop his train of thought. There was just a lingering sweetness paired with the soft texture… he couldn’t pinpoint it, but maybe it was the taste of cake icing, or another dessert he wouldn’t normally eat. And the surface was also warm, and so nice to the touch…

Goshi’s eyes snapped open in fear once he finally realized what the foreign feeling was.

Yuta had… kissed him.

“Wh-!!” Goshi gasped and shoved Yuta away from himself, a bit rougher than he meant to. He felt himself breaking into a sweat, his voice getting louder with every word that tumbled out of his mouth. “You- What… What!?”

“H-Huh?” Yuta stared at him, shocked at being thrown away so suddenly. “I… Um…”

He was probably starting to scare Yuta at this point, but Goshi’s mind broke down into mush so quickly that he couldn’t think coherently at all, let alone speak. Why would Yuta have kissed him? As thanks for the plush? Just because he wanted to? Did he… having feelings for Goshi? All these questions and more flashed through his head, and his heart was racing at a million miles a minute- but the thought that his brain was screaming at him the most was ‘you were supposed to kiss him first, you fucking idiot.’ He was mortified at the turnout of the whole situation. What the hell did he confess to that stupid sheep in the car for?

“Why did you do that…!?” Goshi questioned with a wavering voice.

“I’m sorry.” Yuta sadly dropped his eyes to the ground, stepping back from the other apologetically. “I didn’t think you’d hate it…”

“I…” Goshi paused his panic to finally think for a moment, processing Yuta’s comment. Yuta thought he disliked the kiss, which could not have been any farther from the truth- and he guessed he’d have to admit that up front now, since there was no point in chasing his feelings away anymore, and possibly hurting Yuta by lying to him. “I didn’t… hate it…” He eventually replied, his voice trailing off into just mumbles while his embarrassment slowly rose to his cheeks again.

“You didn’t?” Yuta looked up, a sheepish expression on his face. “Really?”

“I was just… surprised, I guess?”

“I mean… it was supposed to be a surprise, so…!” Yuta twirled his fingers together. “I was kind of nervous, though.”

“Right.” Goshi scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry, I pushed you.”

“Heheh, It’s okay! I know you get scared really easily, Gouchin!”

“I don’t- I don’t get scared!” Goshi huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Anyway, you didn’t answer me. Why did you do it?”

“I think I like you.” Yuta’s cheeks were dyed pink. “Like… really, really like-like you! Um, you’re really nice to me even though you won’t get along with KenKen, and help me a lot when I don’t understand something or if I get lost, and you give me things I like even if you think they’re gross, like rainbow pudding…” Yuta rambled, staring at the sheep on the table. “Or you’ll gift me presents like this that are hard to get.”

Goshi’s heart skipped a beat, and he was at a loss for words again. He didn’t think his bandmate noticed all the tiny things Goshi did for him, but maybe Goshi’s gestures were more obvious than he thought. Akane did catch onto his feelings a week ago, and now he was starting to suspect that Kento may have noticed during their conversation about the gift… But he absolutely could not let Kento’s think he was right about that.

“-So Gouchin, will you go on a date with me?”

“A-A date!? Like… today?” Goshi was caught off guard by the request, noticing how quickly his own confession plan was being torn to shreds.

“Mhmm! We don’t have any more work to do today, so if you have the time…” Yuta had hopeful eyes.

“…Fuck. I was supposed to be the one asking you all of this.” Goshi cursed under his breath, his face practically on fire at this point.

“What?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll go on a date with you!”

“Seriously!?” Yuta’s smile spread across his face.

“Yes. I-“ Goshi took a deep breath, finally choosing to drop his own bomb of emotions. “-I actually like you, too.”

“Oh my god! This is probably my best birthday ever!? Gouchin telling me he loves me!?”

“Stop, stop, stop! I didn’t say that!”

“Don’t worry~ I know what you meant!” Yuta took Goshi’s hands into his own. “I’m so happy right now, my heart is pounding! Hey, we should take Gou-chan with us on our date! He’s like our son now.”

“Ashuu-two. But do whatever you want, I guess.” Goshi exhaled, his nerves finally dying down thanks to Yuta’s upbeat and silly attitude. He stepped forward, still holding onto Yuta’s hands and standing on his toes a bit to reach Yuta’s height. Goshi placed a light peck on Yuta's lips. “Happy birthday, Ashuu.”


End file.
